Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (cont.)

The last entry was the end of my highlights for the book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. At the end of the last chapter, there is an extra blurb called 'A Word for Pastors'. I'm going to include it here, because I feel it is so important to hear this man's heart for Pastors.

I have always struggled with the notion of addressing pastors, because I am keenly aware of my lack of classical training. But in the school of practical experience, the main truths of the Bible have become evident, and that is what I try to share.

I mention the following out of my heart's concern that all of us fulfill God's calling on our lives:

1. Every real pastor is in the ministry today because, in the words of Ephesians 4:11, "it was he [Christ] who gave some to be . . . pastors and teachers." The ministry was not your idea or mine; it was God's plan from the beginning of time. He has entrusted us with a sacred privilege, and with that comes an awesome responsibility - one for which we will have to answer at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Let us all lead our congregations with the desire for divine acceptance, rather than focusing so much on current trends or what is popular with our peers. Christ will one day assess the quality of our work. He will pay no attention to trends set by others in the pastoral profession. That is why we all need to go humbly before him with open hearts, letting him rearrange all we do in order to meet his approval.

2. We must face the fact that for our churches and ministries to be all God wants them to be, they must be saturated with prayer. No new revelation or church-growth technique will change the fact that spiritual power is always linked to communion with God. If you and I are prayerless, if our churches have no appetite for God's presence, we will never reach our full potential in him.

3. Many visitors to our Tuesday night prayer meetings get inspired and want to go and do likewise back home. But it is very important to discern God's guidance as to the true spiritual temperature of a congregation and what the next step should be.

While some pastors have started prayer meetings similar to ours and have seen a wonderful response, others have been disappointed. Many times the spirit of prayer has been so absent in a church that a weeknight prayer meeting, no matter how biblical or laudable, meets with apathy and coldness. This discourages pastors even more, and they feel doubly defeated as fewer and fewer people come each week.

I often recommend that these pastors adjust the Sunday service instead. Preaching time can be shortened somewhat, and when the sermon is over, invite those who feel touched by the Word to come forward for prayer. Get your staff and the church's spiritual leaders around you and pray with them. What is an "altar service"? It's a mini prayer meeting.

After people find more freedom to bring their needs to God, the spirit of prayer can begin to take hold. The God will lead you to the next step. We must always remember that prayer is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and we can't work it up. So give God time to work in people's hearts. After they have experienced the joy and power of his presence, God will be able to do even greater things.

4. Let us never accept the excuse that God cannot work in our situation...that our particular people are too rich, or too poor...too inner-city or too suburban...too traditional or too avant-garde. This kind of thinking is never found in the Word of God. No matter what ethnic origin or geography characterizes the local church, we can see God do things just as he did in the book of Acts, since he has never changed. The only changing that can occur is within us.

Let us purpose in our hearts to change in his direction and see him do incredible things to the praise of the glory of his grace.

After this Word to Pastors is a study guide on the book with personal reflections. I'll next blog about my highlights to the next book within this book, Fresh Faith.

Blessings to all on this dark, cold, windy Wednesday.